It is generally known for a camera to have a main body part with spaced film supply and film take-up chambers. An exposure opening is located between the film supply and take-up chambers and is configured for exposing successive film frames. A metering or sensing pawl is supported for engaging a film perforation during exposure of the film frame at the exposure opening. A film winding take-up is operated to move each exposed frame from the exposure opening to the film take-up chamber and to advance a fresh frame from the film supply chamber to the exposure opening. When the film metering pawl engages the film perforation, it is intended to prevent frame shift. The reason for this is that it is necessary to keep the film frame stationary during exposure.
Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,199 issued Dec. 21, 1976 discloses a camera in which a metering or sensing pawl is supported to engage a film perforation between the exposure opening and the film winding take-up during exposure of a film frame at the exposure opening. A compression spring urges the metering pawl opposite to the film take-up direction and towards the exposure opening, and therefore fails to tension the film frame at the exposure opening. Consequently, it is not clear whether frame shift during exposure may occur.
Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 5,708,888 issued Jan. 13, 1998 discloses a camera in which a cantilever beam has one end anchored to a film pressure plate and another end that is intended to engage a film perforation to prevent frame shift during exposure of a film frame. Presumably, a metering pawl or the equivalent is provided in addition to the cantilever beam.